Concerns
by beargirl1393
Summary: Legolas is pacing and Gloin needs to calm him down. (fem!Gimli) Written for Gigolas Week 2015- Complete


_This is for the last day of Gigolas week, the retro revisit. I chose genderbending because I had a few ideas I've been wanting to do, but I might go back and do the others later. Also, there is implied/ referenced death in childbirth. It's not any of the main characters, but there's no real place to put the warnings except for here._

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"If you don't stop pacing soon, lad, you'll wear a hole right through the floor," Gloin said, leaning back in his chair and puffing on his pipe. Of course, he was fairly anxious himself, but the blonde elven princeling was much worse. Gloin didn't think that he had stopped pacing since Gimli had left to talk to the healer, and his hair was a mess from the many times that he'd run his hands through it recently. "Dams have done this for years, lad, and you should know better than most how strong Gimli is. She has survived much worse."

"But that is different," Legolas argued, not stopping his pacing regardless of what the old dwarf said. "They were all having children with other dwarves. It is different with Gimli. Our child, if there is a child, will be larger than a typical dwarven babe. It may not be as large as an elven babe normally is, as it will be half-dwarf, but it will still be larger than an ordinary dwarven babe. What if it is too much for her? What if something happens? A complication…she could be killed, and the babe could as well. I cannot calm down, Master Dwarf."

"You still have months before you need to worry about that," Gloin pointed out. "As you said, there is no guarantee that she is indeed going to have a babe. And if she is, she will have the best healers under the mountain. If it would comfort you, she would likely even travel to your father's realm and allow the healers there to look at her." And Gimli would, he knew. His daughter was extremely fond of that elf, and despite the fact that he didn't understand it, he accepted it. "So, why are you panicking about this now?"

Legolas sighed softly, finally abandoning his pacing and dropping into the seat across from Gloin. "My father raised me on his own, as you likely know," he began, waiting for Gloin to nod in acknowledgement before he continued. "My mother died shortly after I was born. There was an unexpected complication, she had fallen and I came too early. Not even elven healing was able to help her, and she passed on within days of my birth. It was not even guaranteed that I would survive, for a time, although obviously I did and grew stronger as time passed. It was difficult for my father as well, losing my mother and nearly losing me."

"And you are worried that the same thing will happen now," Gloin replied, not needing Legolas to finish. It was unsurprising, as even if Legolas had been too young to remember at that point, his father had likely told him what had happened once he was old enough. It was enough to make anyone antsy when finding out that their wife may be pregnant, aside from the typical first time father jitters. And, although Gloin had never gotten all that close to Thranduil's son (he had been civil, for his daughter's sake, but no more than that) he could understand the lad's fears. "Did my wife ever tell you the story of Gimli's birth?"

Legolas shook his head, clearly puzzled. "She only ever said that Gimli was an extraordinarily happy babe, and that your brother delivered her. And that she was the first babe that your brother had ever delivered." He still remembered Gimli mourning the old dwarf when they discovered his death in Moria, and he wasn't sure if it was tactful to mention it now, but a few years had passed since then and he hoped that he wasn't poking at any unhealed wounds.

Gloin smiled faintly at the memory. "I was bursting with pride when my wife told me that we would be parents. Did my best to ensure that she had everything that she could want during the pregnancy, and that the babe's room was perfect. Then, when my wife told me that she was in labor and we needed to get to the infirmary, I fainted dead away. All of my worries about my wife and our babe came at me at once, and I'm not ashamed to say that I fainted. So my wife is standing there, likely cursing a blue streak at me and trying to wake me up, when my brother the healer comes to visit, as was his wont. Well, Oin helped Alvís get me to the sofa, and then he helped her get the bedroom ready, since he couldn't carry me all the way to the infirmary himself and Alvís wasn't allowed to help on account of the babe. So, when I come to, it's to my wife scolding me for fainting at a time like this and saying that my brother was delivering the babe. And if I had any protests, she'd get out her sword."

Legolas' lips twitched slightly during the tale, and he was actually smiling by the time that Gloin finished. "Well, did you protest?" he asked, picturing the gruff dwarf younger, anxious over the birth of his first born and being threatened by his wife because of his fainting spell. "I simply…do not want to lose her. Gimli means the world to me, and the thought of her dying the same way that my mother did…our babe growing up without a mother…or worse, our babe perishing as well…it is simply too much."

"I am a smart dwarf, lad," Gloin said, chuckling and refilling his pipe. "I didn't argue with her, helped Oin set up the bedroom, and held Alvís' hand throughout the labor. Quite a strong grip she has, and she used quite a few inventive curses." And in the end she had held the babe gently, brushing the damp wisps of red hair on their daughter's head and cheeks and said that she rather liked the name Gimli, and that had been that. "You can always think of what would go wrong, Mahal knows I have done so many times. In this case, however, you would be better off waiting until you know for certain. The birth of a child is always a joyous occasion."

"True," Legolas acknowledged. "Children are a gift. And any child of Gimli's would be just as beautiful as her mother is." He could see it now, a small toddler standing with her feet planted firmly on the floor, hands on her hips, red hair done up in braids and an adorable scowl on her face as she protested her bedtime or bath time or anything that interfered with what she was interested in. It was, admittedly, a beautiful picture, and well worth the worry that they would likely go through.

"It would likely be a boy," Gloin corrected, as there were always more male dwarves than female, although females were regarded just as highly as males. It was also why, when introducing herself when going on the quest, Gimli had called herself 'son of Gloin' rather than 'daughter of Alvís', as there were some dangers to females when traveling that dwarves were well aware of and guarded against, as well as the fact that men tended to think that women could not be warriors.

"Well, one can hope," Legolas said, smiling faintly, and then he and Gloin lapsed into silence, each drawn into their own thoughts. Legolas pondering more about the babe, while Gloin was remembering Gimli as a child, and wondering how his little Gimli was now old enough to be a mother. Even after all she had done, quest included, sometimes he still saw his tiny red-headed lass when he looked at her, crawling up in his chair with him in the evenings so he could read her a story before she went to bed. While he wasn't opposed to being a grandfather, it was still a bit of an adjustment.

Both were drawn out of their respective musings by the sound of the door opening, footsteps heading from the door to the living room where they were both sitting. Gimli smiled as she saw them, both her father and her husband looked like they had been through the mill while waiting for her to return. "I don't know whether I should tell you the news, or get you both an ale and then give you the news," she said, amused, as she hung up her cloak and moved to sit beside Legolas.

"Tell me now, please, as I doubt my nerves could take the wait," Legolas admitted, taking Gimli's hand and squeezing it lightly. Gloin looked like he agreed with the elf, but he wasn't going to interrupt them at present. He could have tact, when he desired to, and he knew that there was only so far that the elf's nerves could be stretched before they snapped. And, as amusing as the sight of an anxious elf was, the lad had been put through the wringer already, worrying about possible complications and fretting over what had happened to his mother.

"We will be parents, although the healers are uncertain of the precise time that I will carry the babe for," Gimli said, grinning widely and hugging Legolas. "We will be parents within a year, Legolas. The healers wish for me to come in more frequently than they normally would, because of the differences inherent in our races, but they don't believe that there will be much to worry about." She was young and healthy, after all, and in the prime of her life. She didn't have any family history of problems during pregnancy either, so they thought that, despite the fact that the babe would be bigger, she would be fine.

Legolas was stunned, hugging Gimli back and burying his face in Gimli's vibrant hair. Gloin slipped out without either of them noticing, going back to his home. He had no doubt that his wife would want to know, but he would wait until Gimli and Legolas came to tell them. Legolas held her close, shoving his fears to the back of his mind and smiling. He could discuss his fears later. For now, Gloin was right. Children were precious, and they should be happy. "You will be a wonderful mother, meleth nin."

"And you will be a wonderful father, regardless of whatever concerns you are trying to hide from me," Gimli replied, ignoring Legolas' protest. "I know you, Legolas, and I know when you are worried. In your own time, you may tell me your concerns and I will tell you my own. But, for now, let us go visit my parents before my father bursts with the news. We can make a trip to see your father soon as well, as we will hardly leave a raven to deliver such wonderful news." It was always better to discuss such things in person.

And Legolas could only agree, following Gimli out of their home under the mountain and toward his in-laws' home. It was necessary to rescues Gloin, he acknowledged, before the dwarf was overcome with the news that he would be a grandfather. And after, he and Gimli would come home and each would share their concerns about this. But Gloin was right, Gimli was strong and he trusted that she and their child would be fine. That would have to be enough for now.


End file.
